But before dinner, I had an appointment at one of the city’s latest hot spots, Black Sheep. Located at the penthouse of the W Fifth Building in Fort Bonifacio (across from S&R), it has one of the best restaurant views in the city, perhaps rivaled only by Chef Jessie’s revolving restaurant at the MDC 100 Building in Libis.
View from Black Sheep by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
It boasts of an impressive open kitchen and a large bar area.
The Open Kitchen by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
Bar area at Black Sheep by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
I have not had a chance to try the food but hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to do so soon.
At CAV, I was the last to arrive and a couple of Pinot Grigios were already being tasted. Although pleasant enough, the one that stood out above all the others was the Tramin Unterebner Pinot Grigio 2012. This was pretty dense for a pinot grigio, with ripe pear and green apple flavors dominating the palate. Good length as well. P 1590.00.
Tramin Unterebner Pinot Grigio 2012 by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
To start us off, we were offered some complimentary small bites – a carrot and ginger shooter, salmon tartar and a potato chorizo omelet.
Amuse of Carrot Ginger Soup, Salmon Tartar and Potato Chorizo Omelet by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
To go with the whites, I chose a dish of scallops with a corn and truffle emulsion which I enjoyed a lot and which went very nicely with the Unterebner.
Scallops and Corn Truffle Emulsion by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
For the reds, I decided on the Austrlian Lamb Loin. Good flavor but just a little too firm.
Australian Lamb Loin by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
Of the reds, these were particularly noteworthy:
Massolino Barbera d’Alba 2012 - Ripe cherry, lots of fruit, soft, polished, plummy, rich, accessible. Delicious. Easy to drink. P 950.00
Massolino Barolo 2009 – Dried cherry and ripe raspberry. Milk chocolate and cocoa powder. Slightly odd nutty aroma. Modern style. Very approachable for such a young Barolo. P 2120.00.
Querciabella Camartina 1999 - Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend. The Cabernet dominates the nose. The consensus was that it smelled like Bordeaux. Remarkably youthful appearance with almost no browning on the rim and a very dark core. Scents of meat, loam, earth, cocoa. With time in the glass, tobacco and soy sauce. Sweet, ripe, plummy fruit. Tobacco, tea leaf and dried berries. The tannins are still quite firm. This can definitely age a couple of more years without any trouble. Good length. Complex, many-layered and very well integrated but still has room to develop. A wine of outstanding quality. The 1999 is not available but the 2008 vintage is in stock. P 4810.00.
Massolino Barbera d'Alba 2012, Massolino Barolo 2009 and Querciabella Camartina 2009 by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
For dessert, I opted for a chocolate and pistachio bar with a saffron sauce that was really good. I just can’t recall the name.
Chocolate Pistachio Dessert by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
This was paired with a Massolino Moscato d’Asti 2012 - Grapey and fun. Sweet but not cloying as the acidity offsets the sweetness nicely. A gentle fizz makes this rather refreshing as well. A fine match for the chocolate and pistachio dessert. P 840.00.
Massolino Moscato d'Asti 2012 by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr
Thanks, Lester, for popping open a fine set of wines. Till the next, cheers!
Freddie, Bill, Lester, Brendan and me by jaylabrador.winesteward, on Flickr